1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cup dispenser for an automatic vending machine which is loaded with cold drink cups and hot drink cups. The cups differ from each other in their dimensions. The dispenser selectively drops either the loaded cold drink cup or hot drink cup in response to the purchase demand for either the cold drink or hot drink. Specifically, the invention relates to a cup dispenser having an auxiliary cup loading rack for an automatic vending machine; its control circuit is capable of feeding more drink cups by forming an auxiliary cup loading rack within the cup dispenser.
2. Description of the Related Art
According to the conventional cup dispenser, as shown in FIG. 1, cold drink cup loading means 4 and hot drink cup loading means 5 are formed with door 1, guide 2 and frame 3; turrets 6 and 7 for cold drink cups and hot drink cups, respectively, are fixed with turret plates 6B-6E, 7B-7E at rotary shafts 6A and 7A, and are mounted within the cup loading means 4 and 5, respectively. Dropping outlet holes 8 and 9 are for dropping the cups and are respectively formed on the bottom surfaces of cup loading means 4 and 5.
As shown in FIG. 2, cup detecting switches SW8 and SW9 are associated with cup dropping outlet holes 8 and 9. The switch contacts close when the hot or cold cups are not located on the dropping outlet holes 8 and 9. Switches SW8 and SW9 control turret motors M6 and M7 for rotating the feeding turrets 6 and 7, respectively. The switches are connected between the power supply terminals A1 and B1. Power supply source AC is connected to terminals A1 and B1 to control the operation of the cup dispenser.
According to the conventional cup dispenser and its control circuit constituted as aforementioned, when carrying out the operation in a state that a cold drink cup and a hot drink cup are respectively loaded between each set of turret plates (6B, 6C) (6C, 6D) (6D, 6E), (7B, 7C) (7C, 7D) (7D, 7E), at the same time, the cold drink cup and the hot drink cup are loaded on the dropping outlet holes 8 and 9 between the turret plates (6A, 6B), (7A, 7B). A cold drink cup or a hot drink cup is loaded on the dropping outlet holes 8 or 9 in preparation to be selectively dropped in response to a purchaser's demand for a cold drink or a hot drink.
In such a state when the dropping of the cold drink cup loaded on the dropping outlet hole 8 is completed, the dropping outlet cup detecting switch SW8 becomes closed indicating that the cold drink cup is no longer loaded on the dropping outlet 8. The turret motor M6 is driven to rotate the feeding turret 6. The cold drink cup loaded between the turret plates 6B, 6C is then moved to the dropping outlet 8, and the dropping outlet cup detecting switch SW8 is opened to stop driving the turret motor M6.
When the dropping of the hot drink cup loaded on the dropping outlet 9 is completed as discussed above, the dropping outlet cup detecting switch SW9 becomes closed, and the turret motor M7 is driven to position the hot drink cups loaded between the turret plates (7B, 7C), (7C, 7D), (7D, 7E). The hot drink cups are sequentially moved to the dropping outlet 9 and are dropped.
The conventional cup dispenser and its control circuit as aforementioned is limited in the quantity of the cold drink cups and hot drink cups that are available to load. When the cold drink is more frequently sold, as in summer, further cold drinks do not sell due to the shortage of cups, while the hot cups remain idle. In the case when hot drinks are sold more frequently, as in winter, further hot drinks cannot be sold due to the shortage of hot drink cups and the cold cups remain idle.